Peugeot Instinct Concept Hints At A Bold New Design Direction

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If only Peugeot’s production cars looked as pretty as this.

If you look back some of Peugeot’s stunning concept cars, you wouldn’t think its production car designs would be so dreary. From the Onyx Supercar Concept, to the 308 R Hybrid hot hatch, Peugeot knows how to make appealing concept cars that grab your attention, and its latest model is no different. After last week’s leak, the Peugeot Instinct Concept has been revealed in full, and it looks just as stunning from other angles as the initial leaked image led us to believe.

This curvaceous coupe is more than just a pretty face however, as Peugeot says the sleek sculpted body is aerodynamic and designed for maximum fuel efficiency. It’s also laden with technology, as you would expect from a hi-tech concept. Cameras are installed in each LED headlight, which scan the road ahead and communicate with the driver assistance systems. Naturally, the Instinct is also fully autonomous, but the driver can take back control on demand. Arguably its most innovative feature is what Peugeot calls the ‘Internet of Things’ platform, which connects to the Samsung ArtikTM Cloud to sync with user’s devices.

This allows the car to learn about the driver’s lifestyle and adapt settings accordingly, such as the driving mode, seat and interface settings, ambient lighting and audio. Cleverly, the Peugeot Instinct Concept can also alter its behaviour to suit the driver. By reading your smartwatch, it can switch to ‘Autonomous Soft’ mode to give a relaxing ride home after an exhaustive workout at the gym. Alternatively, the navigation system can be synced with the driver’s diary so that you never miss an appointment. Inside, the Peugeot Instinct is as futuristic as you would expect from a concept car, with a 9.7-inch touchscreen dominating the center console.

Sitting next to the sleek screen is Peugeot’s i-Device, which replaces traditional pedals and a steering wheel, and can be used to switch between autonomous and drive modes. The seats can also be fully reclined to take advantage of the Instinct’s autonomous capabilities. Little is known about the Instinct’s power technology, however. So far, the manufacturer has revealed that the pretty Peugeot will use a plug-in hybrid powertrain delivering 300 horsepower, but expect more to be revealed at Geneva next week. Like many of Peugeot’s concepts, the Instinct is unlikely to ever go into production -hopefully, it hints at a bold new design direction for future Peugeots.